Mefsiah, TheDeliverer from Evidl, Weir with their concuptfcence. And they varioufly fet forth the growth of it, where it is not correEtedby Grace. At firft they fay, it is like a Spiders thread, but at laft like a Cartrope ; from If 59, e. 5: andChap. 5. e. i8. And again, in the beginning it is like a f{ranger, thenas a Gheft, but lafily as the Matter of the Houle ; lèeJames I. 14, 15. And according to theirwonted manner onGen. 4.v.ß. where Hä17 of the Mafculine Gender is joyned with Merl ofthe Fceminine, they obferve :' in Berefhith Rabba : fee; 22. "I717 ` ar1 ak r3 1i1t21 rive rufi tart r irir], at firii it is likea wo- man; but afterwards it waxeth ftrong likea man. 12. MoreTeffimonies of this nature, from, the Writings that are of Authority among' . them, mightbe produced, but that there are fufficient unto our Purpofe. That we aimat, is to evidence their Conviction of that manifold mifery which came upon mankind,: on the EntranceofSin into the world. And two things we have produced their Suffrage and Content unto. Firft, The Changeof the Primitive Condition ofMan, by his Defedhion from the Law of bis Creation. Thismade him obnoxious in his whole Perron and all his Gon- cernments to the difpleafure and Curie of God, to all the Evil which in this world he feels, or feats inanother ; to Death Temporal and Eternal. And hence did all the dilorder which is in the Vniverfe arife. All this we have found them, freely te- fifying Unto.. And this muft be acknowledged by all men, who will not brutifhly denywhat their own Confcirnces dictate unto them, and which the condition of the whole lower world proclaims , or irrationally afcribe fetch things unto God, as are utterly inconfiltent with his Wifdom, Goodnefs, Righteoufnefs, and Hohnefs. Secondly, We have manifefted their acknowledgement, that a Principle of Sin, or Moral Evil, bath invaded the nature of man ; or that from the fin of our firft Pa- rents, there is an Evil Concupiftence in the heart of every man, continually and itr- ceffantly inclining the Soul unto Operations fisitab'le unto It ; that is unto all Moral Evil whatever. From boththefe it unavoidably follows, on the firff Notions of the Righteoufnefs, Fíolinefs, Veracity, andFaithfulnefs of God, that mankind in this eftate and condition, can juftly expe6t nothing, but aconfluence of Evil in this world, and at the dote of their Pilgrimage,to perifhwith a Ruine Commenfurate unto their Ex- illence. For God having in Wifdom and Righteoufnefs, as the Soveraign Lord of his Creature, given them a Law, good, juft, and equal, and having appointed the 1 r -- ísaltyofDeath and hiseverlaftingdifpleafure therein unto thefranfgref foes thereof; and withall having fufficiently promulgated both Law-and Penalty, ( alf which things we have before demonlirated ) theTranfgreflion prohibited adtually enfuing, God him- felf being Judge, it remains that all this Confutation of a Law, and threatning of a penalty was vain and ludricous, as Satan in the Serpent pretended, or that mankind is renderedabfolutelymiferable and curled, and that for ever. Now which of there is to beconcluded, Divine Revelation in theScripture, Reafon,'and the Event of things, will readily determine. §. 13. That God without the leali impeachment of his Righteoufnefs or Goodnefs might have left all mankind'remedileji in this Condition, is marifeft, both from what hath been difcourfed concerning the means wherebythey were brought into it, and, _his dealingwith Angels -on the like occafron. The conditionwherein man wascreated,was morallygood andupright ; the frate wherein hewas placed outwardly happy and-der- fed ; the Lawgivenunto him, jut{ andequall, the Reward propofed untohim, glbri- out and fare, andhis Defeïtion from this - ndition.voluntary. What thall we fay then, is God unjuft Who infíioteth Vengeance'? God forbid. The Executionofa Righteous Sentence,upon the voluntaryTranfgreflion ofa Lawjail and equal, hath no unrighte- oufnefsin it. And this was the fumm of what God did in this matter, as to the mi- ferythat came on mankind. And who fhould judge Him, ifhe left him forever to eat ofthe fruit of bio own ways, and to be filed with his own devices ? He, hadbefore, as expreffed hisPower and Wifdom, fo fatisfied his Goodnefs and Bounty in his Crea- tion, with his endowments,and enjoyments according unto the Law thereof; 'and what could mari look for farther at his hands ? Hence Adamwhenhiseyes were opened to fee the nature of Evil in that aCtual fence which he had inhis Cónfcienceof the guilt that he had contracted, had not the left ExpeCationof Relief or Mercy. And the follyOf the courfe which he took in hiding himfelf, argues fufficiently both his prefent Amazement, and that he knewofnothing better to betake himfelf unto. Therefore dothhe give that account of the Refaitof his
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